


Misery Business

by aForgottenWeasley



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Reader Insert, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, imagine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28554210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aForgottenWeasley/pseuds/aForgottenWeasley
Summary: Imagine moving in with the Molina's after an incident back home. Instead of being angry, you realize this is your second chance to be truly happy and you really hope it goes better than your first attempt.
Relationships: Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a sucker for three idiot ghost boys which is why I'm back, only in this imagine everyone is alive. Yes that includes Rose Molina as well :) Soulmate!AU too so have fun with that.  
> FYI, Y/N will be "musically talented" but since I can't write music to save my life then "Y/N's music" will come from a little band that goes by the name of Paramore and by James Arthur.

Julie and three of her best guy friends are in the family studio outside, writing and jamming and just having the time of their life. Alex, Reggie, and Luke are about two years older than Julie, but the boys overlooked the teeny tiny age gap because her killer voice was exactly what their band was missing. The entire high school knew exactly who the boys of Sunset Curve were so they were all surprised when they took sophomore Julie Molina under their wing and rebranded their band.

Julie's family was very supportive of her music, especially her mother Rose, and she let Julie and the boys use her studio whenever they wanted so long as they _all_ kept up their grades. They're usually left alone when Julie and Luke are in writing mode, so it's a bit of a surprise to see Ray and Rose entering the studio.

Alex is the first to notice them, nudging Reggie and gesturing to Mr. and Mrs. Molina, and then Reggie tosses a pillow at Luke's head to get his attention. Luke's rather rude remark is on the tip of his tongue, but his eyes widen upon seeing Julie's parents.

"Jules. Julie!" He hisses. "Your mom and dad are here."

"Hmm. What?" Julie finally looks away from her journal, her eyes widening before a beaming smile breaks out. " _Mami!_ _Papi._ What brings you two here?"

"Hey _mija_ ," Ray says. "Can we talk real quick?"

"Of course!"

She glances at the boys and they're quick to start packing up, but Ray gestures for them to stay put. "It's okay, boys. You can stay for this."

Rose smiles. "After all, you are family too."

Every time Rose or Ray mention that the boys are family, they can't help but smile goofily. None of the boys have the type of relationship with their parents that Julie has with hers, so they're all grateful the Molina's accept them as if they were a Molina as well. Julie smiles as the boys, who are all practically older brothers to her, gather around her and Luke to hear what's going on.

On his way further into the studio, Ray grabs a chair for Rose and she takes a seat while Ray stands behind her, gripping the back of her chair. "Okay," he exhales a little roughly, "so you know the drama your cousin went through a few months ago?"

Julie frowns. "Yeah."

"Well it seems Y/N isn't doing so well," Rose says. "Your tía thinks a change of location is what's best for her."

"Y/N wants to move here?"

"Well not exactly," Ray says. "Y/N doesn't know. If we agree to take her in, then Y/N will be told of her relocation."

Julie nods, looking thoughtful. "Okay."

"Okay?" Ray muses. "What does okay mean?"

"Well I'm assuming you're only telling me because you never make a big decision without seeing what me and Carlos think," Julie says and then smiles brightly. "I love Y/N. Carlos loves Y/N, so I know he already voted yes."

Rose chuckles. "He did. I believe his words were _I will throw down for Y/N any day of the week. Bring her home_."

Julie snorts. "Of course he did." Then after glancing between her mom and dad, she nods with a gentler smile. "Whatever she needs. I'll even decorate the guest bedroom for her."

"That's nice, _mija_." Ray then looks over the boys, eyes settling on Reggie. "No flirting."

"I- what?"

"No flirting!"

Luke and Alex snort as Reggie gasps in mock outrage, but everyone knows Reggie is the one to flirt first and ask questions later. Ray and Rose laugh as they ready to leave the studio, Rose walking over to kiss her daughter on the temple before disappearing after her husband.

As soon as the teenagers are left alone, the boys whirl on Julie.

"So who's Y/N?" Alex asks, smiling innocently.

"And what was the drama a few months ago?" Luke wonders.

Julie glances between all three boys before sighing. "I'm only telling you this because it's highly likely she'll be coming soon." She has their full attention. "Y/N is my older cousin. Last year she met her soulmate."

"Aww," Alex coos.

"Or so we thought."

His smile immediately falls. "Oh."

Julie cringes. "Yeah. Apparently some new transfer student at her school liked my cousin so much that he decided he wanted to be her one and only. Really creepy dude," she says. "So somehow he figured out what her words were and made sure those were the first words he spoke to her." Their eyes widen. "When she spoke to him in return, he memorized the words and had them tattooed on. Then he refused to let her see the words, under the guise that they were in a private spot she couldn't see until they got to know each other better, until they healed."

"What the hell," Luke breathes. "That such a-"

"Dick move," Reggie mutters.

Alex nods in agreement. "Yeah. What they said."

Julie smiles sadly at her friends. "She was with him for a year before he met his real soulmate and then he tried to juggle them both. Y/N was really torn up about it."

"Who wouldn't be?" Alex says. "That is so messed up."

"It is. But if there's one thing I know about my cousin it's that she doesn't want people to tiptoe around her." Julie grins then. "So be yourselves like you are with me, just don't flirt with her."

Alex stares down his two guy best friends until they huff and nod in agreement. "I think they can handle that."

* * *

Stepping out of the Uber in front of your tío's house, you're grateful you stopped being annoyed with your mom for making you move long enough to accept the money she transferred into your bank account. The ride from the airport to the Molina household wasn't exactly a cheap one and you regretted not letting your family pick you up when you saw what you owed.

But now you're here, one duffel bag hanging from your shoulder and a medium-sized suitcase sitting by your feet. You only have a moment to take it all in before the front door is opening, and your tío and tía are exiting the house to greet you.

"You're here!" Rose smiles and is quick to pull you into a hug. "How was your flight?"

"Decent. Just a little turbulence. I might have barfed. Twice."

Rose and Ray laugh, and then Ray's tugging you into a hug of his own. "We're so glad to have you, _mija_. Julie and her friends have just about finished with your room. They're really excited to have you here."

"And I'm excited to be here." Pulling out of the hug, you're met with two identical expressions that practically say _Are you really?._ "Well now I am." All three of you chuckle. "I was a little upset at the short notice, but I'm totally over it. I am a little tired though, so yeah."

"Oh. Of course. Just head on up, _mija_. You know where the guest bedroom is," Rose says. "Ray and I need to go get some groceries for tonight. Does _arroz con pollo_ sound good?"

You groan quietly. "It sounds fantastic. My mom could never quite make it like you do."

Ray laughs. "Well my sister is not the cook she claims to be. Now go on. Rest up and we'll see you for dinner."

As Ray and Rose take their leave, you grab your suitcase and drag it inside behind you. You can hear laughter coming from upstairs so that's where you head towards, and you're not surprised to see Julie, Flynn, and who appears to be Julie's bandmate Alex tacking up some fairy lights and draping them across your headboard. The bedroom, which was usually bare except for the bed and dresser, has many of your personal things scattered about that had been shipped a little over a week ago now. However the sheer black curtains, the maroon comforter bed set, and the lights they're hanging up are all new.

"A-hem." You clear your throat, smiling when all three teens freeze and turn towards you. "Are you guys seriously having fun without me?" The blonde boy grins as the two girls squeal, you dropping your duffel bag next to your suitcase just as Julie and Flynn launch themselves at you. Your arms are spread wide as they wrap themselves around you and you bring your own arms down around their shoulders to squeeze them in return. "Did you girls miss me?"

"Uh duh!" Flynn is the first to retort.

Julie pulls back just enough to look you in the face. "We're going to have so much fun."

"So much." You can't help but chuckle, your attention then sliding to the quiet blonde. "Alex, right?"

He smiles. "Yeah. Hi. It's nice to meet you."

"You too, man. I keep up with the band on Youtube and can I just say that you absolutely kill it on the drums? I mean holy shit. You're awesome!"

Alex blushes as Julie points at him. "See! Own your awesomeness. My cousin thinks you're cool, therefore you are cool."

Both girls finally release you, Flynn stumbling back to sit on the edge of what is now your bed. Julie stays right where she's at, arm wrapped around your waist as you both stare at her bandmate. You nod and smile at him. "You really are. We definitely need to jam some time."

Alex seems to perk up then. "Y-You're into music too?"

Flynn snorts. "The Molina's are all freakishly talented. I'm almost jealous."

You roll your eyes fondly at Flynn. "Shush. You're talented in other areas." Then looking at Alex, you grin. "I sing and write. Not as amazing as Julie, of course, but I can hold my own. I like to perform-"

"Just not in front of an audience," Julie muses.

"-and just let go. The rush of it all feels good." You turn to pout at your cousin. "And yeah, not in front of an audience of strangers." You stare at Alex once more. "Friends and family is fine, just not like a legit stage. I'll projectile vomit like that one girl in Pitch Perfect." All three teens snort, that movie having been popular with all of them.

Alex then grins. "We'll definitely have to jam then once you're settled in."

A brief moment of silence descends upon the room, but Flynn is not having it. She claps her hands once, garnering everyone's attention. "So before we get comfortable, lets address the elephant in the room." You groan as she smiles broadly. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine, guys."

"Really? Your sudden move states otherwise."

"Flynn!" Julie scolds. Alex seems to freeze, his gaze darting between you and Flynn.

Flynn grimaces as she seems to think she's crossed a line, but you merely roll your eyes. "What exactly did my mom tell your dad?" You turn to ask Julie.

"Um," she gulps and fidgets in place. "I was just told that you weren't doing so good after everything that happened."

You snort. "Seriously?" Julie nods and you chuckle, shaking your head. "Guys, I'm fine. Honestly! I got over the heartbreak like a week after it happened and then I was just pissed off. But my friends helped me realize some things and I'm good now."

"But then why did your mom say you weren't?" Julie wonders.

"I love my mom, but she's a moron," you say. You drag Julie over to your bed, kicking off your shoes along the way and crawl to sit against the headboard. Julie does the same and you gesture for Alex to join Flynn at the foot of your bed. He does, smiling to be included. Once everyone's settled, you say, "So Jerry, who was the guy pretending to be my soulmate," you explain for Flynn and Alex, "has been trying to get in contact with me ever since I blocked him on everything I could. A couple weeks ago while I was out partying with some friends, Jerry and his soulmate were at the same party I was at. I didn't notice them, but they noticed me and they somehow managed to come up with the idea that I was stalking them."

"What a bitch," Flynn immediately blurts. Alex nods along with her.

"Anyway, Jerry's soulmate confronted me and I was completely blindsided by how angry she was with me. I mean, Jerry's the one who tricked me! Not the other way around." You shake your head in annoyance. "She made some hella stupid accusations and she threw a punch."

Julie gasps. "She didn't!?"

"She did. Now I'm not stupid, so I let her hit me a couple of times before I took my first swing. Fortunately for me, she clawed me," you pull your shirt down to show them three marks just above your cleavage, "and she was arrested when the cops got there. After giving my statement and getting statements from the witnesses, they determined I acted in self defense and let me go home. Mom took the little altercation as me spiraling and acting out, so she shipped me off."

"Jesus," Julie sighs. "That's messed up."

"It really is. But oh well. What happened, happened, and now I get to live with my favorite people."

All four of you laugh before Alex gestures towards your chest, sobering up some. "I have some cream that you can use so it'll fade the scars. My soulmate likes to skateboard and he gets pretty banged up every now and then so I keep a stash of that stuff for him."

You smile fondly at him. "Yes, please. The first time my real soulmate sees the girls," you shimmy your chest just the slightest, "I don't want him to see my battle wounds."

Julie swats you with the back of your hand and you laugh at her exasperated expression as the other two break down into giggles.

Lounging around in your room, you ask Julie about her other two bandmates but Alex tells you they had family obligations they couldn't get out of. Carlos gets dropped off by his friend's mom and he joyously jumps onto the middle of the bed when he realizes you're finally there. So that's how Ray and Rose find the five of you, laughing and joking in your new room before dinner is ready and making plans to hang out the following day when everyone could meet up.

* * *

After explaining to your tío and tía the real reasoning your mother had you sent away, it was like a weight was lifted off their shoulders and they were more at ease in your presence. You laughed at their sheepishness, at how they thought they had a rightfully heartbroken teenager on their hands with no clue how to ease said heartache. But when all was said and done, everyone seemed to be themselves around you.

Alex had shown up that afternoon, soulmate in tow, and immediately you asked to play with Willie's hair. Both boys had laughed, Willie agreed and readily sat on the floor between your knees as Julie and Alex Facetimed Flynn about any upcoming open mic nights they could book. Willie had a box of random hair supplies in his lap and you saw how he kept running his fingers over a feather and some small silver hoops. Without even asking him, you grabbed a couple of silver hoops, a feather, and set them aside. You had him tilt his head and he did so without questions, closing his eyes as you started to part and section the hair on the right side of his head. Alex smiled every time he looked over at the two of you and you happily gave Willie three thin braids about five inches long before letting the rest of his hair hang loose. The two outer braids had the silver hoops clipped in and the braid in the middle held the feather you had braided in with a thin leather cord. When you were finished and then combed out Willie's hair one last time, you told him you were done and had to bite back a laugh at the way Alex gulped. Willie eagerly went to check himself out in the mirror, beaming at his reflection before turning around and pulling you into a hug.

While your tío Ray and tía Rose worked, and Carlos spent time at his friend's house, you and Julie ordered in some pizza for yourselves, Alex, and Willie. They had no plans at all for the day so the four of you went out to Rose's studio garage when Flynn finally showed up.

Flynn has the bright idea to do karaoke, pulling out the equipment and setting up a laptop Julie had in the studio for this occasion.

Flynn killed it on Nicki Minaj's _Starships_ , you and Julie sang _Mamma Mia_ and were joined by a very enthusiastic Alex. Willie absolutely refused to sing, but that was okay because he knew the choreography for Backstreet Boys _Everybody_ and you eagerly pulled him up to dance with yourself and Julie. Tío Ray and Tía Rose showed up with Carlos in tow, and you and Julie laughed joyously as her parents sang through Journey's _Don't Stop Believin'_.

Everyone was laughing and having a good time, but as the sun was going down the parental figures went inside to talk through dinner ideas and clean up a little.

You ask Julie if she has any originals you have yet to hear, but as she goes to go grab a journal Alex speaks up. "What about you? You said you wrote, right? I need to hear an original."

"I, uh, sure." You shrug. You turn towards Julie, eyeing the laptop. "Are my instrumentals still on there?"

She grins. "Yeah. Can I choose?"

"Go for it." You get up to go see which song of yours she's going to choose, smiling softly when you see her choice. Alex is practically bouncing in his seat, Willie is shaking his head at him in fond amusement, and Flynn looks torn between recording with her phone. When you nod at her, she beams and gets ready to hit record on her phone.

"So before Julie hits play, I just want you guys to know I wrote this song while I was Jerry. He absolutely loathed it when he first heard it because he thought I was singing about someone else." You huff a laugh. "The song was honestly about a couple on a TV show I got fixated on, but he didn't believe me. So anyway, I might be a little rusty, but Julie loves it so here goes nothing.

Julie hits play. The violin starts and you smirk when you see Alex's eyebrows raise. Then the drums, guitar, and bass kick in and his eyes widen just as his jaw drops when your attitude completely changes.

" _I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top. She's got a body like an hourglass, it's ticking like a clock. It's a matter of time before we all run out. When I thought he was mine, she caught him by the mouth_."

You keep singing, singing to Julie, but then it goes silent before the chorus kicks in and you find yourself back to back with your cousin as she joins you. " _Woah, it was never my intention to brag. To steal it all away from you now. But God, does it feel so good 'cause I got him where I want him now. And if you could, then you know you would 'cause God, it just feels so.. It just feels so good._ "

Willie whoops and you laugh your way through the next few lines, rocking your shoulders and even throwing in a couple of head bangs for good measure.

But then the music quiets just so and you face the boys. " _I watched his wildest dreams come true and not one of them involving you. Just watch my wildest dreams come true. Not one of them involving._." You head bang now, twisting your head back and forth so your hair wildly flips back and forth. Julie plays the air guitar and you're laughing, having made yourself dizzy in the process. But then as one particular part comes up, you sidle up to Julie's side, your face just inches from the side of her own face as she stares forward. " _Woah I never meant to brag, but I got him where I want him now_."

Your chest aches from putting your all into your own song, sweat beading at your hairline as you jump around dancing. You're exhausted by the end of the song, but it's well worth it to see Alex's gobsmacked expression.

The studio falls silent, but it's Willie and Flynn who jump to their feet. Their utter amazement and joyfulness makes you a little sheepish, but then Alex is standing to his feet. "Holy shit."

"Right?" Julie cackles. "I've been begging her to play live with us for one song, but she won't."

"Are you frickin' kidding me?!" The new voice has your head snapping in it's direction, the boy in a leather jacket and red flannel wrapped around his waist staring at you in wonder. "What is it with you Molina's and your musical talents?"

Your face flames at his praise, eyes then darting to the boy with shaggy hair and a sleeveless shirt gaping at you. You chuckle nervously and Julie wraps an arm around your shoulders, grinning as she introduces you. "And here we have Reggie and Luke. Guys, this is my cousin Y/N."

" **Dude, will you marry me?** " Luke's words make everyone laugh out loud, but you freeze.

Julie, having felt you tense up, stares at you. "Y/N? Are you-"

But you cut her off, eyes solely on Luke as you say, " **Bro, don't call me dude**." Your mocking tone makes Flynn snort.

Not only is it Luke's turn to freeze, but so do Alex and Reggie. Their eyes widen as they stare between you and Luke, your heart beating triple when you realize just who this is.

"Oh my god," Alex mutters.

"Oh my god!" Reggie exclaims, smile instantly beaming.

"OH MY GOD!" Julie shouts, arm tightening around your shoulder. "Did he just- did you just say.." You nod, your breathing becoming a little erratic. Julie notices and turns you so she grips you by the shoulders and you're staring directly into her face. "Hey, it's okay. You're fine. Luke's one of the good ones."

You gulp. "I- it's not that," you murmur. "But he said.. and I need to see-"

Before you can finish, the presence of said boy is right next to you and Julie. You startle at his appearance, but then he's holding out his arm between you and your cousin and you glance down to see the words that have been stamped into his skin since the day of his birth. There on the space just below the crease of his elbow are the words _bro, don't call me dude_.

You laugh, a little wetly, but no one dares to call you out on it. Instead, you turn and lift your shirt so he can see his own words stamped on your ribs. A faint touch has you flinching away and giggling, and Julie snorts as you pout at Luke who seems to realize you're ticklish.

"OH MY GOD! YOU GUYS ARE SOULMATES!" Flynn shouts. "THIS IS SO COOL!"

And just like that the tension is broken, everyone laughing and cheering. You're having trouble holding Luke's gaze, his crinkled eyes and swoon-worthy smile making you want to reach out and hug him. So when you see his fingers twitch and tap out a beat against his leg before he clenches his fists closed, you cave and pull him into a hug. He hesitates a moment before he sighs, wrapping his arms tightly around you in return.

"Hey. _¿Qué está pasando? (What's going on?)_ Rose wonders. Apparently the cheering had caught tía Rose and tío Ray's attention.

You and Luke break apart, but your arms remain touching as you both stare at Julie's parents like you'd been caught doing something wrong. And since the two of you can't seem to form words, Julie giggles before filling them in. "Luke and Y/N are soulmates. They said each other's words."

Ray and Rose immediately look at you in shock, and you can feel your face heating up. Slowly, you smile at your tía's concerned expression and immediately she's beaming as she makes a beeline for you. " _Mija!_ That's wonderful news." You laugh as she hugs you and then laugh even harder when you see your tío Ray clamp a hand down on Luke's shoulder. Then releasing you and turning towards Luke, tía Rose smiles as she opens her arms wide before moving in to hug him. "I'm happy for you too, _mijo_. Welcome to the family." Then pulling back, she says, "Not that you weren't already part of the family, but you know."

Luke chuckles, ears turning red. "Thanks, Mrs. Molina."

"Well this is a cause for celebration," Ray says. "Anyone feeling up to pasta?" Julie, Flynn, and Reggie all whoop in unison. "You going to join us, Willie?"

Willie, never usually around for long periods of time with Julie's family, is surprised to be invited. Alex beams at his soulmate and Willie knows he can't say no. "Sure, Mr. Molina. Thanks for the invite."

"Great," Rose smiles. "Well now that that's settled, I'm going to go make a reservation so we don't give the hostess a stroke when we all walk in. Everyone has two hours before we leave."

Tía Rose and tío Ray congratulate you and Luke one last time before they take their leave. Everyone follows after them, excitingly talking outfit choices, but Reggie remains by the opened doors smiling between you and Luke. A second later, Alex returns and marches a reluctant Reggie away.

Now that it's just you and Luke, the two of you laugh nervously.

"So.."

"So.." You both laugh nervously again and then you're groaning. "This is so weird, but like I'm also really excited."

Luke loses some of his nerves and his shoulders slump. "Really? You're excited?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

He turns sheepish then, averting his gaze as he shoves his hands into the front of his jean's pockets. "Julie might have explained the shitty thing your ex did and yeah. I would understand if you weren't stoked to meet me on your second day here."

He's so genuine in his explanation that you can't help but mentally swoon at this boy before you. You're not sure where the sudden confidence comes from, but you're grateful for it when you step closer and take his face in the palm of your hands so he's staring right at you. "Okay one, my mother didn't properly explain why she moved me here. I'll fill you in later, but I'm telling you right now it's not because I'm heartbroken or anything. And two, I _am_ stoked to meet you. You wanna know why?" Luke can only nod as he pays close attention and you grin at him. "Because the moment realization sunk in, everything just felt.. it felt-"

"Right?" He asks, voice low.

You nod. "It felt right. There was no uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach, there was just elation. Like I found something I didn't know I was looking for until you uttered the words etched on my ribs."

Luke slowly smiles and you let your hands fall to your sides, leaning in and quickly kissing his cheek. "Now come on. We need to get ready for tonight."

His cheeks turn red almost immediately, but you don't say anything as you grab his arm and drag his hand from his pocket. Then clasping his hand within your own, you drag him out of the studio and up towards the house.

* * *

Dinner was quite the affair, everyone pushing you and Luke next to one another at the table and cooing over how adorable you two were. Even his parents, Emily and Mitch, had been invited along and everyone smiled throughout the entire dinner. The table was quite loud, but not a single customer nearby or the waitresses could blame you when Reggie loudly explained that they were celebrating newly found soulmates. There was even applause that had you and Luke turning red in the face and then trying to aim a kick at Reggie's shin under the table. Unfortunately, Alex took the brunt of both kicks.

When the weekend was over, Luke and the boys stood by your side on your first day of school. The band had quite the following and those fangirls of theirs were not impressed to see you and Luke hand-in-hand. It was a bit daunting navigating the hallways with a majority of the school's population looking down their nose at you, but then Julie, Flynn, and surprisingly Carrie Wilson (your cousin's arch-nemesis) came to your aide. You understood Julie and Flynn's protectiveness, but Carrie's was a shock and she merely flipped her hair over her shoulder while giving the excuse that no one should be shit on just because they found their soulmate. The girls were stunned, but shrugged it off and let Carrie do what Carrie wanted to do.

Tía Rose and tío Ray saw a lot more of Luke at their home, but didn't put up any fuss. The only thing they asked was that if they were alone in the room, then the bedroom door was to remain open at all times. And not wanting to disappoint them, you and Luke abided by their rules. Because being with Luke.. it was the complete opposite than being with Jerry. There were no nerves, no second guessing, and no jealousy. You were happy to be with Luke and vice versa, and either of you could go out with friends with no twenty questions about who you were going with and where (Jerry seriously did a number on you).

You became Julie and the Phantoms number one fan, alongside Willie and Flynn, and sat up in the loft with Willie while the band rehearsed downstairs. The times you did go downstairs after rehearsals and Luke bounded over to you like an eager puppy, you had to fight the urge to chuck something at Reggie and Julie when they cooed over how cute you were together.

Luckily for you, Luke wasn't into PDA other than hand holding or hugs. But it still didn't stop your friends from mockingly groaning for you to get a room when Luke would hug you from behind and stay there with his chin hooked over your shoulder.

Today is one of the rare days the band left Luke alone so he could spend the time with you, but you're stuck doing Algebra II homework and Luke is going through one of your old writing journals for abandoned lyrics to give him inspiration.

You've been stuck on the same problem for what feels like twenty minutes when you hear Luke sharply inhale. You glance up at him, watching him read through something that's clearly caught his attention. You can't help but grin at his look of concentration and then his expression falls and your heart suddenly aches.

Luke glances up and you gulp. "What's this?"

"What's what?"

He glances back down at the journal in his hands before looking at you once more. "Something titled _Train Wreck_. It looks like a completed song."

Your expression completely goes lax then. "Oh. That's, uh, I wrote that a while back when my mom and dad were going through their divorce." You close the math book in your lap and hesitantly meet Luke's gaze. "That was not a fun time for all involved. My mind was kind of.. messed up back then."

Luke gulps. "I don't want to seem inconsiderate of what clearly was a dark time for you, but this- this is really good, Y/N. Do you have a melody for it?"

You huff a laugh, shaking your head in fond amusement. Only Luke would be this invested in a song. "I do. I think it's on the laptop in a password protected file.."

His eyes light up. "Can I hear it? You don't have to, I just-"

"It's fine." You get up, heading over to the laptop and powering it up to find what you need. After a bit of searching, you find it and open it up. Letting the melody play, you look up at Luke. "I won't sing the whole thing, but I'll sing a portion of it."

He eagerly nods. "I'll take anything."

You smile at him, nervously taking a seat on a crate in the middle of the room. He finds another crate and places it close to you, wanting to be as close as possible. You close your eyes, smiling, and let the melody wash over you as the lyrics come back to you in a flash. Your heart beat is beating double, but you inhale deeply and let it out slowly.

Losing yourself to the music, you mouth the lyrics to yourself until letting your voice ring out. " _Underneath our bad blood, we've still got a sanctum. Home, still a home, still a home here. It's not too late to build it back 'cause a one in a million chance is still a chance, still a chance and I would take those odds._ "

You open your eyes, chest aching as all those feelings from so long ago come rushing back and make your voice just that much stronger. " _Unbreak the broken, unsay these spoken words. Find hope in the hopeless, pull me out of the train wreck._ " Luke grabs your hand and you squeeze it for all your worth as you keep looking forward. " _Unburn the ashes, unchain the reactions now. I'm not ready to die, not yet. Pull me out of the train wreck. Pull me out, pull me out, pull me out._ "

You meet Luke's gaze then, a little surprised to see his eyes red rimmed and teary through your own blurry vision. " _You can say what you like, don't say I wouldn't die for it. I'm down on my knees and I need you to be my God, be my help, be a Savior who can-_ "

Your voice cracks on the next word and Luke tugs on your hand, pulling you into a hug. A sob escapes your throat as you cling to Luke, but you quickly stifle it against his shoulder. As the melody plays out, you press your forehead to his shoulder before pushing back and sniffling. "I, uh, I'm sorry about that. Everything came rushing back and I-"

"Don't apologize." Luke catches your face in the palm of his hands, thumbs brushing away your tears before his lips press against your forehead. The action is so soft that your expression crumples momentarily, but you quickly mask it when Luke pulls back to catch your gaze. "That was amazing, Y/N! So amazing. And I'm sorry it brought up bad memories, but.. wow."

You huff a laugh, pulling back so you aren't hunched over. Luke, however, refuses to stop touching you and catches your hands within his own. "I should have guessed you'd be easily impressed."

"For you? Always."

You shake your head, grinning. "You're so freakin' cheesy, Luke Patterson."

He chuckles and again you're hit with a sudden boost of confidence that you lean forward, one hand finding the back of his neck so you can bring him to meet you halfway in a kiss. He smiles against your mouth, but the smile quickly falls the second you tilt your head to deepen the kiss. Unfortunately, just as the tip of your tongue flicks against his bottom lip, you're interrupted.

"Can we come in now?" Reggie's voice rings out. "I really wanna give Y/N a hug after hearing that song."

"Reggie!" Julie scolds.

You and Luke pull apart laughing. You both straighten up and look towards the door just in time to see Reggie rubbing at the back of his head as he walks in with Alex and Julie behind him. Hand in hand, you and Luke stand up and chuckle at Reggie's put out expression.

Had you known that having a soulmate felt exactly as you feel right now, you would have known something was definitely up back home with Jerry. And though you will always hate your ex for tricking you the way he did, there's an ounce of gratefulness for the misery he put you through because had he not then you wouldn't have moved and met your true soulmate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by anonymous who asked for a sequel where Jerry finds out that Y/N met her soulmate. So here ‘ya go! I tried writing angst, but I just.. don’t know how? I hope you still enjoy this though. Also there might be some slight violence in case that’s triggering for anyone.

You've spent months with Luke now and every day with him so far has been absolutely mind blowing. Being with him is exactly like every textbook out there said what having a soulmate is like and you couldn't be happier. But of course not every day was a good day. Fortunately for you though, you and Luke were two people who didn't like being at odds with one another, so more often than not your issues were resolved within hours.

Everything in your and Luke's life seemed to be going smoothly, but after the novelty of finding his soulmate wore off it seemed like Luke's parents were pressuring him to do something with his life other than music. They thought it was a great hobby for him to have, but not something worth pursuing as his main source of income. You could see every little argument wearing on him, and you and your family did your best to cheer him up.

Eventually one of the arguments was bound to take things too far, so you weren't surprised when Luke showed up one night with tears in his eyes and his hands gripping tight to his backpack straps. Tía Rose and tío Ray were kind enough to let Luke stay the night, and you even persuaded them to let him share your bed with promises that there'd be no funny business- you just wanted to be there for him. You weren't surprised that he fell asleep so soon after showering and changing into pajamas, but you were surprised to receive a call just passed one in the morning from his mother.

Having crept out of bed, you walk downstairs to the kitchen to take the call. Mrs. Patterson is very apologetic for calling so late, but she's extremely worried about Luke's whereabouts. You ease her fears by admitting that Luke is with you and then mention that since Spring Break was about to start, that maybe it was best for Luke to stay with you for a little bit. When she remains quiet, you apologize for overstepping but go on to explain that seeing Luke so torn up after every argument with her was very disheartening. You just wanted your soulmate to be carefree again, even if it was only for a week. And then after hearing her sniffle, you feel like you really messed up, but Mrs. Patterson calls you a good soulmate and that she'd drop off a bag of Luke's clothes in the morning.

Then going back up to your room, you crawl back into bed and chuckle when Luke rolls over to pull you in so your back is against his chest. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, you allow yourself to relax and fall asleep in your soulmate's arms.

You're not one to keep secrets from Luke, so come morning you tell him about the phone call you had with his mom. He seemed a little apprehensive when he heard she had called, but quickly relaxed when you went on to tell him that you got her to agree to let him stay there in the Molina household.

"You think Rose and Ray will go for it?"

"Yes." You smile at him, swiping his hair out of his eyes. "They adore you like you're one of their own. Plus it helps they know you've been having issues with your parents, so they'll think it's a good idea you take a breather from them as well."

"Okay. But only if they're good with it."

"They will be."

And sure enough, when the two of you head down to breakfast, tía Rose and tío Ray are all for Luke staying after the latest blowout.

In fact, with the start of Spring Break, you find it hilarious that Alex and Reggie spend as little time as possible at their own homes. Carlos is ecstatic to have the boys to roughhouse with, tía Rose loves having extra hands around the house to help with the yard work, and Julie adores having her band with her so they have all the time in the world to write and have jam sessions.

It's during one of those jam sessions Julie gets you to sing, but you only agreed to it because Luke was determined to duet with you. You picked All Time Low's _Remembering Sunday_ where Luke sang about ninety-nine percent of the song and you came in at the end for about twenty seconds worth of singing, but you put your all into it and stunned your friends. You hadn't known your cousin was recording videos of the session, so you were a little surprised when she told you.

"So remember the other day we were vibing out in the studio, and you and Luke killed it singing Remembering Sunday?"

"Um, yeah."

"Well I might have posted a video or two-"

"Julie!"

"-and it's gone viral."

"What!?"

"I'm sorry! I posted it on my page, Flynn reposted it on the band's page, and well it kind of took off from there." Julie cringes. "Apparently the fans really liked it."

"Ugh." You groan. She chuckles nervously and you eventually sigh when you see she feels really bad about your reaction. "Well I guess it's fine," you say and she starts to slowly relax. You don't know exactly what to say, so you say the first thing that pops into your mind. "So how many think I'm trying to break up the band?"

Julie snorts. "Only a handful. No more than twenty people that we've seen so far. We've told the fans you weren't breaking up the band or joining it, but that you and Luke were soulmates and you were just having fun with us. Some don't believe it."

You shake your head, grinning softly. "People are dumb, but whatevs. Everyone who matters knows the truth and that's enough for me."

* * *

With Spring Break coming to a close, it's decided you're going to have a bonfire on the beach the Saturday before returning back to school. You know it's going to be a long night, so you and few others head to the store to stock up on snacks and drinks.

You, Alex, Julie, and tía Rose were the only ones mature enough to tackle the task of shopping, so the four of you piled into the car and left before Reggie could crawl his way into the very back without anyone knowing.

Between the four of you, loading the car with the groceries after shopping was an easy task, but apparently one individual didn't get that memo and figured you needed some help.

A bag that tía Rose picks up unfortunately tears and the cans inside go rolling. She curses in Spanish, which makes you and Julie giggle, but then an all too familiar voice freezes the blood in veins. "Oh no worries, ma'am. I got this."

Julie snorts as her mom giggles, Alex swears softly under his breath, and you're too terrified to look and see one of your fears come to life. But the second your tía starts making small talk, you can't help but look up. You immediately pale. It's Jerry. The same Jerry whose dark hair was tied into a small bun at the back of his head, who wore a distressed band tee, ripped jeans, and dark boots. The same Jerry whose smug little grin once made your heart flutter, but now only makes you feel sick to your stomach.

"Y/N," Alex steps in your line of sight when you can't seem to stop staring. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." You can feel yourself sway on your feet and the moment all the groceries are in the back, you start towards Julie and her mom. "Tía, it's time to go." You grab at her wrist and start pulling her towards the driver's seat.

" _Mija_ , don't be rude." You spare her a brief glance and she frowns at your expression. "What's wrong?

"Nothing. I just- I don't feel so well. Can we please go?"

"Y/N?" His voice makes your skin crawl and you jerk out of reach when you feel a hand touch your shoulder. "Is that really you? Wow! It's been _too_ long."

His smarmy smile makes your stomach churn, but you have to keep it together. "Not long enough," you retort.

You know your family and Alex are looking at you like you've grown a second head, but tía Rose's expression hardens the moment Jerry chuckles. "I like the feistiness. It suits you."

"I'm sure it does."

Once Rose realizes the tension between you, she calls out for everyone to get in the car so you can head on home. Everyone opens up their respective door, but they're still standing outside the car when Jerry says, "It was nice to see you again, Y/N. I'm sure we'll see one another again real soon."

You scoff. "Don't count on it."

Marching over to your door, you open it up and drop into your seat. The others follow quickly after. You buckle up, your right knee bouncing anxiously as you continuously glance out the window. The car rides are usually loud and filled with off-key singing, but now the music can barely be heard and no one knows how to break the silence.

Finally, not able to take the silence or the stares you can practically feel burning into the side and back of your head any longer, you say, "That guy back there? That was Jerry."

A beat passes and then Julie sharply inhales. "Your ex? The one who pretended-"

"Yep!" You cut her off, breath stuttering as you try to inhale. "Ever since I moved he's been trying to contact me, but I blocked him on everything I could. Why did he- how did he find me?" You ask, voice shaky.

"Oh _mija_ ," Rose softly exhales. You turn your head to look at her and she shakes her head. "This isn't okay."

"I know."

"I think you need to talk to the police, especially since he followed you across states."

"Y-Yeah. Okay."

You feel a hand grab your shoulder and you flinch, but you quickly reach up to grab ahold of it. The small, too smooth hand lets you know it's Julie. "I'll call dad and tell him to meet us there."

Rose tells her that's a good idea and then Alex is saying, "Should I tell Luke? This feels like something he'll get pissed at me for, for not telling him."

"Of course," you say, "but tell him I'll call him after. He doesn't need to come down to the police department as well."

It doesn't take Ray long to get to the police department, and when he does he and Rose escort you inside while Julie and Alex stay outside. The female officer who takes your statement is quite appalled to hear that someone would fake soulmate words and is clearly upset to learn that he followed you across state lines, even after you did everything to conceal your location. She completely understands why you're so unsettled, but unfortunately there's not much they can do unless Jerry were to physically harm you or your family. She does, however, file the statement for future reference in case anything involving Jerry were to pop up in the future and it makes you feel a little bit better to know it's all on file.

Once you're free to go, Julie immediately throws herself into your arms when you're back outside. She's sobbing and it takes you a moment to understand what she's saying. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I was just thinking while you were gone and I think he found you because of me- because of the video I posted of you and Luke."

"Jules, no. It's not your fault."

"But it is! If that mega creep stalked my page, some of my posts have the locations tagged."

Oh. So yeah, maybe that is how he found you. You can see everyone else realize the sudden realization you came to as well, but you don't want to make your cousin feel any worse. "Don't even worry about it. You are not responsible for his actions. Okay? This is all on him."

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it," you cut her off, squeezing her just a little bit tighter. "I just want to put this day behind me, go home and put the groceries away, and cuddle with Luke while we brainstorm for our bonfire tomorrow night."

Julie pulls free from the hug, frowning. "You still want to go through with the bonfire after what happened today?"

"Duh." You smile gently at her. "We've been planning this for weeks. I'm not going to let Jerry's sudden appearance ruin our fun."

Julie looks like she's going to argue, but Ray is immediately by her side and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. " _Mija_ , it's going to be okay. Y/N has all of you on her side and should anything happen we've got the card of the very nice officer who took our statement. It's going to be fine."

When Julie's calmed down, it's time to head home. Alex goes with Ray so he can be dropped off, but Julie goes with you and her mom. The drive is once again silent, but you don't mind it this time around. Though when you pull up to the house, you can't help but sigh at the sight of Luke pacing back and forth on the front porch.

Tía Rose chuckles as she parks. "Go," she tells you. "Julie and I can get the groceries. Go calm your soulmate."

You smile thankfully at her and do as you're told. Then as you're walking up the sidewalk, Luke hops off the porch and makes a beeline for you. He immediately wraps you up in his arms and you don't mind how tight he squeezes you.

"Lets go to the studio," you tell him.

Luke doesn't even bother arguing, he grabbing your hand as soon as he frees you from the hug to pull you towards the studio out back. Then upon entering the studio, Luke shuts the door behind you and drags you over to the couch. "What happened?"

You shrug. "Jerry found me. I don't know how he came across any video I was in, but we think he saw the video of me and you singing. Julie thinks he went through her page and took a chance by going to the location that was tagged in some of her posts."

"Bro, that's so messed up."

"You're telling me," you huff. "Julie feels terrible, but I don't blame her so.."

"Nah. It's not her fault. This dude is seriously screwed in the head." You nod, quietly agreeing. Sighing, you pull your legs up and curl them beside you, and lean into Luke's side. "So what did the police do?"

"Nothing. They can file a report about him following me, but they can't actually do anything unless he physically harms someone." Luke softly swears. "I'm actually kind of scared," you then admit. "I don't know why he's obsessed with me, but he knows I found my real soulmate. What if he does try to do something?"

"I'll kick his goddamn ass if I have to." You quietly chuckle, but Luke presses on. "I'm serious, Y/N. You are my soulmate. I will protect you until my dying breath. That jackass ain't gonna lay a finger on you."

"Have I ever told you how hot I find you when you get angry?"

He chuckles softly. "What?"

"Yeah. So hot," you muse. You glance up at him, lips twitching as you can clearly see how he's torn between finding amusement in your words and reprimanding you to be serious. "I can handle Jerry. Somewhat," you then softly admit. "Please don't do anything that will put you in handcuffs."

He sighs. "No promises."

"Whatever. I'll take what I can get."

Luke finally smiles and he quickly presses a kiss to your forehead. "Have I ever told you how adorable it is to see you going soft for me?"

"Fuck off, Patterson. Now lets go help sort the groceries so we can go pick out our spot on the beach for tomorrow night."

Luke laughs as you stand and tug him up so he can follow you out.

* * *

Rose and Ray are a little hesitant to let you leave the following night, but after many reassurances they seem to realize that they're worrying for nothing. Willie shows up in a van and everyone cheers as they readily load up the back, Luke adding in two acoustic guitars for himself and Reggie. Alex automatically claims a seat in the front with Willie and Reggie beats everyone else in rock, paper, scissors to claim the other seat. So you, Luke, Julie, and Flynn sit in the back and try not to fall into each other with Willie's not so excellent driving skills.

You and Alex take on the responsibility of getting the fire going while everyone else situates the coolers of your food and drinks, and rearranges the chairs and blankets. It seems other kids had the same idea as you all because further down there are several other bonfires ready to be lit and every other face seems to be someone from Los Feliz High.

Once the fire is going and the music is just loud enough to be heard by everyone around your fire, Alex and Willie claim the blanket in the sand. You and Luke obviously sit next to one another, and Julie, Flynn, and Reggie stick together to mock the soulmates should anyone get a little too into displaying their affections.

It's a little too cool to take a dip in the water, so everyone makes do by burying Reggie in the sand or dancing around for some laughs. In between food and drinks, there are lip sync battles and originals sung by Julie, Luke, Reggie, and Alex, and it's the most perfect night. Pictures and video are taken, and everyone second guesses posting them, but you wave them off with the excuse that the damage has already been done.

A little after ten, Carrie saunters over and her appearance is enough to make the laughs taper off. You and Luke had stolen the blanket from Alex and Willie, and you were laying down with your head in Luke's lap so you were too comfortable to greet her by sitting up. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Carrie says, "I knew every girl was just getting their hopes up. You and Luke are obviously still infatuated with one another."

As her words sink in, everyone immediately glances at you and Luke, and you frown at her. "What?"

She rolls her eyes. "There's some guy looking around for you. He's been telling everyone that you're his girl and he was supposed to meet you here."

There's a moment of silence and then, "Carrie, did this guy tell you what his name was?" Your heart stops and you immediately sit up in preparation for her answer.

"He probably did, but I didn't hear it over Alicia and Kaitlin squealing about Luke being single again."

Reggie snorts and you can hear Alex quietly reprimand his friend. "Did he have a man-bun, lots of bracelets on one wrist, skinny jeans, and combat boots?"

Whatever your expression is currently showing as you ask her, it throws Carrie off and you see her own haughty attitude diminish just the slightest. "Yeah. What's going on, Y/N?"

You sharply inhale and then Luke is immediately on his feet, draping an arm around your shoulders. "Come on. We should leave."

"No." Your tone startles him, and even Carrie, but then you look at Luke while softening your voice. "No. I'm not going to run away. He doesn't get to ruin my time with the people I love." A moment passes and then Luke nods, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead. You smile softly up at him before turning to look back at Carrie. "Be honest with me, Wilson. How much does everyone know about why I moved here?"

She shrugs. "By your second day here everyone knew you left your home because some asshole pretended to be your soulmate and like totally stalked you or something." No one says anything and you raise your eyebrows at her, willing her to connect the dots. Her eyes slightly widen as she realizes what you're silently telling her. "It's him, isn't it? The guy asking around about you."

You gulp. "His name is Jerry. I know we're not exactly friends, but do me a favor?" At her silence, you take it as a yes. "Spread the word. No one is to answer his questions and no girl goes off on their own. He's not a good person."

"Of course." She takes out her phone, ready to start sending off text after text. You sigh a little in relief, knowing that everyone will soon know a creep is hanging around. When Carrie glances back up at you, she frowns a little. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was him."

"Don't even worry about it. I didn't exactly tell anyone his name or showed a picture."

Carrie gives you a terse nod before she's straightening up, haughty expression back in place. As soon she takes her leave, everyone is suddenly on their feet surrounding you and Luke.

"What the hell?" Alex mutters. "This is so messed up."

"Am I gonna have to fight?" Flynn asks. "Because I am prepared to go to jail. Someone's just gonna have to bail me out."

Julie frowns. "I don't know about this, guys. I don't have a good feeling. Maybe we should go home."

"Are you kidding me?" Reggie scoffs. "There's one of him and seven of us. We'll be fine."

Willie glances between everyone, shrugging. "I'm down with whatever. If you guys wanna leave, we'll leave. If not, we'll stay."

Luke glances down at you. "What do you say, babe? Stay or go?"

"We stay. Now will everyone lighten up? We only got a couple of hours before beach patrol shuts us down."

Reggie whoops and you can't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. Julie walks up to you then, still looking uneasy. "Are you sure about this? No one will think less of you for wanting to leave."

You flash her a small smile. "I'm not going to let him scare me off. And besides, it's like Reggie said. There's more of us than him. We'll be fine."

Only it wasn't fine. Not really. Because not even half an hour later the ex in question finally finds you.

Alex is the first to notice him, his laughter ceasing immediately as his expression hardens. Willie asks him what's wrong and upon following his line of sight he realizes what's going on. Then slowly but surely, everyone's fun nature disappears as they stand.

Jerry chuckles when you finally meet his gaze. "Told you see we'd see each other again real soon."

You sigh, your hand slipping into Luke's as you see him take a step forward out of the corner of your eye. "What do you want?"

"To catch up," Jerry muses. "You left so quickly and didn't tell me where you were going."

"For obvious reasons, you moron."

"Yeah. Read the room, dude. You're not wanted here," Flynn huffs as she steps up on your other side.

Jerry glances at her and his stare leaves you feeling uncomfortable. So to grab his attention once more, you say, "Go home. I have nothing to say to you."

"Aw," he coos, "but I miss you."

"Well she doesn't miss you." Luke's words draw Jerry's attention and you can see his jaw clench in the firelight.

"Ah, yes. The soulmate," he muses. "Tell me, soulmate, does she purr for you like she did for me?"

Your eyes widen just as there are several sharp inhales behind you and you immediately cling onto Luke's arm. "Luke, no!" Alex is on the other side of Luke, pushing his friend back and when it seems like he's got it under control you let go of his arm and step between him and Jerry. Glaring at his smug expression, you say, "No, Jerry, I don't purr with him like I did with you." He chuckles lowly. "Because unlike you, Luke knows how to get me off which is something you never knew how to do. Not even once."

"Oh fuck. She just murdered him," Flynn giggles.

Jerry's smug expression vanishes the moment everyone starts to giggle and before anyone can blink he's swinging his arm so the back of his hand connects with your cheek.

"You motherfucker!"

You go stumbling and it's only because of Julie and Flynn that you don't fall. When you manage to regain your footing, you locate the boys only to find that Willie and Luke are doing their best to whale on Jerry while Alex and Reggie look on, unsure about stopping the fight or not. Willie lets Luke throw most of the punches, though when Jerry lands one on Luke he's quick to reach in and make sure Jerry doesn't overcome his friend.

"Flynn, call the police department. Ask for Officer Diaz and tell her my name. Tell her Jerry's found me and he attacked me."

"Okay."

"Julie," you then turn towards your little cousin. "Call your mom and dad. They need to be here."

"Okay."

Stumbling towards the boys, you shout, "Stop. Guys, stop!" Alex is quick to come to your side, tucking you under his arm. "Luke!" You then yell.

With his hand fisted in a completely dazed Jerry's shirt, he stops mid-swing and glances at you. "Please stop. Flynn is calling the cops. You can stop now."

He's got a split lip and his body is still taut with anger, but upon seeing your expression he's quick to let Jerry go. Jerry stumbles as he regains his stability, but then Willie is there to make sure he goes nowhere.

As Luke stops right in front of you, he gently cups your face in his hands and his anguished expression makes your heart break. "He hit you."

"I know," you frown, "and he's going to pay for it."

You close your eyes as Luke presses his lips to your forehead, his lips lingering there as he mumbles apology after apology.

"How cute," Jerry chuckles darkly.

"Laugh it up now, asshole," Flynn says. "The cops are on the way."

You and Luke separate just as Jerry spits out a glob of blood, sneering at Luke. "You might have her now, _Lukie boy_ , but how does it feel to know I had her first?"

Luke tries to lunge, but Alex is quick to catch him. Instead you stumble forward, gaze never leaving Jerry's. "Don't look so smug, Jer. You're the pretend soulmate who only had me for not even a fraction of your lifetime. But Luke? Luke gets me over and over and over for the rest of his life." Jerry's expression falters, but before he can think to hit you again it's you who forms a fist and hits him square between the eyes.

"Fuck," he grits out, stumbling into Willie.

"FUCK!" You shout, pain instantly blossoming in your hand. Not even shaking it out helps.

"Hey. Hey, let me see."

"Don't touch it!" You scream at Luke.

He chuckles as he gently grabs a hold of your wrist, running his fingers softly over your knuckles. "I think you might have broken it."

"Worth it."

Jerry tries to struggle some more in order to get away, but Willie and Reggie do a good job of keeping him in place. And if they had failed, he wouldn't have gotten far because Nick and his band of jocks had appeared out of the dark after being led over by Carrie.

Rose and Ray appear first, Ray immediately getting the story from the boys while Rose fusses over you and your bruised face. Then the second red and blue lights start flashing, the crowd disperses and leaves your original group alone with Jerry.

Immediately Jerry tries to spin the tale that your boys jumped him, but fortunately for you Officer Diaz and her partner are the ones taking your statement. They grab yours first and upon seeing your face they take a picture of it to put on file. You ask them about what's going to happen to Luke and Willie for defending you when Jerry attacked, and they unfortunately tell you that they might actually be taken in since they threw the first punch against him.

After a few more statements are taken, Luke and Willie are surprisingly let go with a warning. Turns out Luke hadn't thrown the first punch, he just pushed Jerry away from you, and Jerry went on the attack first. Luke's assault was categorized as self defense and Willie smartly kept his knuckles hidden while mentioning he was only standing by trying to separate the brawling boys. Officiate Diaz and her partner obviously knew it was a load of shit, but they wanted to get Jerry off the streets more than they wanted to arrest Willie for defending his friend.

Then once Jerry is taken away, Ray suggests you all call it a night. He helps put the fire out while Rose helps everyone else load up Willie's van, and then they mention they'll meet you at home. On the way there, Luke calls his parents to let them know what happened and that he'd be back home the following evening in time for school. You can hear his mom express her concern for you and her hopes that you feel better soon, and then she goes on to tell him that she loves him and that she's sorry for their argument. Luke chokes up while he's on the phone, but thankfully everyone else attempts to make small talk to give him a semblance of privacy.

Willie drops off you, Luke, and Julie first, and you apologize for ruining the night.

"Are you kidding me?" Reggie scoffs. "Tonight was wicked fun! You're lucky you already found your soulmate because that punch was hot."

Luke chuckles. "You're an idiot, Reg."

You glance at Willie and he beams at you. "Don't even sweat it. Tonight was totally fun, brawl included. I just hope the charges stick and that jerk doesn't bother you anymore."

"You and me both," you muse. "Now go on. Get out of here and let Alex kiss your knuckles all better."

Alex groans as his soulmate laughs, and the three of you wave at the van as it disappears down the road.

Then as you're walking up the sidewalk leading to the porch, Julie says, "I love you guys, but can we please never get into a public altercation ever again?"

You laugh as you swat at her, only to hiss in pain when you hit her with your injured hand. "Goddamn it that hurt. I think the adrenaline finally faded," you say as you cradle your hand to your chest.

Luke wraps his arm around your shoulders, tucking you into his side. "We'll have Rose check it out and if she thinks you need a doctor, we'll head down to the ER."

"I'm gonna need a cast, I just know it," you mumble.

As the three of you come to a stop on the porch, Julie turns towards you and says, "Maybe next time you'll think about throwing a punch before you actually know how to throw a punch. You're not supposed to tuck your thumb in."

"Yeah? Well maybe you should let me practice on your face!"

"Okay!" Luke laughs, pulling you a step back from a now laughing Julie. "A Y/N in pain is a mean Y/N. Duly noted."

You glare at Julie a little longer before your façade cracks and then you whine as you lean into Luke once more. "Will you hold my hand in the ER?"

"Sure thing, babe. Ready to have Ray and Rose yell at us before they realize your hand might be broken and need medical attention?"

"Nope, but we gotta go inside sometime."

"Together?"

"Together."

"Ugh," Julie scoffs. "You guys are too adorable for your own good."


End file.
